the garden of emeralds

Cartago, California

Cartago is the Spanish name for Carthage, which it was once named, though Carthage is now the name of a nearby town. It was also once known as Daniersburg and Lakeville, and is often considered part of modern day Olancha, as is nearby Grant.

In 1863, a mill was constructed on what is today Olancha, when a man came in search of silver. In December 1863, Olancha had a sawmill and blacksmith, however, the mill was burned by the indigenous people already living there in 1867. When nearby Cerro Gordo began attracting travellers, Olancha became a stop to it. later, steamboats were made to cross the Owens Lake, and Olancha became a port along it, and Cartago was born as a port for the shipment of wood and ore as well. Olancha is most famous for being where Manson family members lived for a small period of time. Cartago is rarely referred to as a separate town and is almost always considered part of Olancha.